Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief
1 August 1944
[No. 161]

ORDER

OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

To Army General Chernyakhovsky

The troops of the 3rd Byelorussian Front, having crushed the enemy's stubborn resistance, took by storm the city and fortress of Kaunas (Kovno) — an operationally important communications junction and powerful German defensive strongpoint covering the approaches to the frontiers of East Prussia.

In the fighting for the capture of Kaunas, distinction was won by the troops of Colonel-General Krylov, Lieutenant-General Ludnikov, Lieutenant-General Morozov, Major-General Kazartsev, Major-General Perekrestov, Major-General Poplavsky, Major-General Kazaryan, Lieutenant-General Bezugly, Major-General Prokofiev, Major-General Samarsky, Major-General Gladyshev, Major-General Laskin, Major-General Alekseyenko, Colonel Donets, Colonel Zhekov-Bogatyrev, Major-General Gorodovikov, Major-General Kalinin, Major-General Babayan, Colonel Druzhinin, Colonel Krasnovsky, Colonel Katyushin, Colonel Bibikov, Major-General Kvashnin, Colonel Birstein; artillerymen of Colonel-General of Artillery Barsukov, Major-General of Artillery Fedorov, Major-General of Artillery Deresh, Lieutenant-General of Artillery Bodrov, Major-General of Artillery Rozhanovich, Major-General of Artillery Karsanov, Colonel Ryabchuk, Colonel Dolgov, Colonel Starynin, Colonel Skvortsov, Colonel Zhevnov, Colonel Sedov; tankmen of Major-General of Tank Troops Burdeyny, Colonel Bulygin, Colonel Losik, Colonel Nesterov, Lieutenant-Colonel Antipin, Colonel Dukhovny, Colonel Bukov, Major-General of Tank Troops Gramagin, Colonel Semenyuk, Major-General of Tank Troops Malakhov, Colonel Vakhrushen, Colonel Kutuzov; airmen of Colonel-General of Aviation Khryukin, Lieutenant-General of Aviation Savitsky, Lieutenant-General of Aviation Blagoveshchensky, Colonel Zimin, Colonel Chuchev, Colonel Vasilyev, Major-General of Aviation Molokov, Major-General of Aviation Andreyev, Colonel Prutkov, Major Karazeyev; sappers of Lieutenant-General of Engineering Troops Baranov, Colonel Leiman, Colonel Lukashenko, Lieutenant-Colonel Poplavsky, Major Melnikov, Captain Lipetsky; signallers of Colonel Prikhodai, Lieutenant-Colonel Shtelman, Major-General of Aviation Ptitsyn, Colonel Tkachenko, Colonel Arkharov.

To commemorate the victory won, the formations and units which have distinguished themselves most in the fighting for the capture of the city and fortress of Kaunas (Kovno) will be recommended for conferment of the honorary designation "Kovna" and for award of orders.

Today, 1 August, at 22.00 hours, the capital of our Motherland, Moscow, in the name of the Motherland, will salute the valiant troops of the 3rd Byelorussian Front which have captured Kaunas with twenty artillery salvoes from two hundred and twenty-four guns.

For excellent military operations I express my thanks to the troops under your command who took part in the fighting for the liberation of Kaunas.

Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in the struggle for the freedom and independence of our Motherland!

Death to the German invaders!

Supreme Commander-in-Chief

Marshal of the Soviet Union I. STALIN

1 August 1944 [No. 161]